India’s Paritosh is through to the quarterfinals of the Puyo Puyo Champions event at the Asian Games 2026. The debutant from Rohtak, Haryana, finished third in Group B on Thursday, September 24, with two wins and two losses at the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, Japan.
He is the only Indian in the event, and his run keeps India’s hopes alive in one of the four esports titles the country entered at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The knockout rounds and the medal matches are all on Saturday, September 26.
Paritosh’s Group B results at a glance
Paritosh opened with a 3-0 sweep of Mongolia’s Munkhzorig Ganbold. Singapore’s Mun June Justin Koh was next, and that one went the full five games before Paritosh closed it out 3-2.
The afternoon was harder. Chinese Taipei’s Tzu-ang Kuo beat him 3-0, and Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitikun edged a 3-2 decider. Those two early wins were still enough for third place in the group and a quarterfinal spot.
| Match | Opponent | Nation | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group B, Match 1 | Munkhzorig Ganbold | Mongolia | Won | 3-0 |
| Group B, Match 3 | Mun June Justin Koh | Singapore | Won | 3-2 |
| Group B, Match 6 | Tzu-ang Kuo | Chinese Taipei | Lost | 0-3 |
| Group B, Match 9 | Tanarak Wongkitikun | Thailand | Lost | 2-3 |
| Final record | 2 wins, 2 losses | 3rd in Group B |
All four matches were best of five, so a player needed three game wins to take a match. Across the day, Paritosh won 8 games and lost 8.
Who Paritosh could face in the quarterfinals
Group A finished like this at the top. Japan’s 11-year-old Yuki Kurihara won all four of his matches to take first place. South Korea’s Kang Dongshin was second: his only loss came against Kurihara, and he beat Kazakhstan’s Alexandr Pivovarov and Hong Kong’s Yu Wing Lim 3-0 each and the Philippines’ Karl Gonzalvo 3-2. Gonzalvo took third.
Gonzalvo is scheduled to play the second-placed player from Group B in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. If the bracket uses the same crossover for Paritosh, Group A’s third-placed player facing Group B’s second means Group B’s third-placed player would face Group A’s second. That would put Paritosh against Kang Dongshin. Organisers had not confirmed the full pairing when this was published.
| Group A finish | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Yuki Kurihara | Japan |
| 2nd | Kang Dongshin | South Korea |
| 3rd | Karl Gonzalvo | Philippines |
Kurihara is also chasing a record. The Japan Times reports that he is the youngest athlete Japan has ever picked for the Asian Games. If he wins a medal on Saturday, he would become the youngest medallist in the history of the Games.
Puyo Puyo Champions knockout format and schedule
The group stage was a round robin with players split into two groups. From the quarterfinals onward, the event is a single-elimination bracket, so one loss ends a player’s run. Every knockout round and the gold medal match happen on the same day.
| Stage | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Group stage | Thursday, September 24 | Round robin, best of five |
| Quarterfinals | Saturday, September 26 | Single elimination, best of five |
| Semifinals and final | Saturday, September 26 | Single elimination |
Japan is three and a half hours ahead of India. A 9 a.m. start in Tokoname is 5:30 a.m. IST, so Indian fans should expect an early start on Saturday.
If the game itself is new to you, our Puyo Puyo Champions rules and format explainer covers chains, Nuisance Puyo and how a match is won.
How Paritosh qualified for the Asian Games
Paritosh earned his place at the National Esports Championship 2026 (NESC 2026), run by the Esports Federation of India. He came through the lower bracket, and that run included a win over Tirth Mehta, who won bronze for India in Hearthstone at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where esports was a demonstration sport.
India’s 15-member contingent at Aichi-Nagoya competes in eFootball, Pokémon UNITE, League of Legends and Puyo Puyo Champions. You can see every name in our full India esports squad list for Asian Games 2026. The squad’s selection is also being challenged in court, with a hearing listed for October 1. We have covered that in our report on the Delhi High Court petition over Team India’s esports selection.
Where to watch Paritosh’s Puyo Puyo quarterfinal
| Region | Platform | Language |
|---|---|---|
| India | Sony LIV app, Sony Sports Network | English, Hindi |
| International | Asian Games TV | English |
| Japan | TBS Sports on YouTube | Japanese |
Puyo Puyo Champions is one of 11 esports medal events at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, spread across 13 game titles. The Olympic Council of Asia’s official title announcement lists the full lineup.
Frequently asked questions
Did Paritosh qualify for the Puyo Puyo Champions quarterfinals?
Yes. He finished third in Group B with a 2-2 record at the Asian Games 2026.
When is Paritosh’s next match at the Asian Games?
The quarterfinals are on Saturday, September 26, at Aichi Sky Expo. The Philippines’ quarterfinal slot is 9 a.m. Japan time, which is 5:30 a.m. IST.
Who did Paritosh beat in the group stage?
He beat Mongolia’s Munkhzorig Ganbold 3-0 and Singapore’s Mun June Justin Koh 3-2.
Where can I watch Puyo Puyo Champions in India?
On the Sony LIV app and Sony Sports Network channels.
